Ecology Exam 2

STUDY

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=evaporation of water from leaves, via stomata-surface tension of water basis for this -evaporation of water creates negative pressure within leaves, which pulls more water up from the ground

Evaporation

the process by which water changes from liquid form to an atmospheric gas

Water potential

= capacity of water to do work (forces x time)-pure water =0-water potentials in nature generally negative

Matric forces

=reduction of water potential due to water surface tension inside plant cells/vessels (due to capillary action)

Metabolic water

-plants use water, carbon dioxide, chlorophyll and sunlight to produce sugar (glucose) and oxygen -animals can acquire water simply by metabolizing food, which relases H20 used during photosynthesisex) kangaroo rat and seeds

-grasses, corn, sugar cane etcpros- C02 conc for efficiency of Calvin cycle, stomatal resistance can be high because of high affinity of PEP carboxylase for CO2cons- recovering PEP from puruvate has metabolic costs, less leaf tissue for photosynthesis, not advantageous in cooler climate

-at night C02 enters stomata, joins PEP to form oxaloacetic acid, is vonverted to malic acid and stored in vacules- in morning, stomata close, malic acid leaves vacuoles and is broken down to release C02,, which continues to Calvin cycle

Carbon cycle

the organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

Chlorophyll, carotenoid pigment

Where photosynthesis occurs, pigment of photosynthesis

Heterotroph

="other feeders", energy comes from organic molecules that is synthezize ultimately by autotrophs, captured by heterotrophs

-Carbon assimilated in single step, using ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP), and its enzyme RuBP carboxylase( rubisco), which has low affinity for CO2-Called C3 because uptake of CO2 by 5-carbon RuBP produces two 3-carbon phosphoglycerate (PGA) molecules in first step of Calvin-Benson Cycle-Occurs using chlorophyll in both palisade and spongy mesophyll cells of leaf

Stomata

the small openings on the undersides of most leaves through which oxygen and carbon dioxide can move

= when one individual acts to increase the fitness of another at the cost of its own fitness (sacrificing reproduction or life)

Cooperative breeding

A behavioral pattern in which young animals postpone breeding and instead help their parents raise offspring.

Cooperative hunting

= individuals recognize each other and share food within social groups, including sibilingsex) common ravens, call to recruit other ravens to a carcass so to overwelm the defenses of resident territorial ravens, lead other animals to vulnerable animals, so ravens can share with preadors

=the highest level of organization of socially living organisms-3 conditions1) cooperative care of offspring2) overlapping generation within a nest (offspring help parents)3) reproductive division of labor, in which few individuals reproduce while others are physicaly or functionally sterile

=the selection of genes by individuals assesing the survival and reproduction of relatives (other than offspring)who possess the same genes by common descent

Reciprocal altrusim

=individuals (not necessarly related) reciprocate over time in assisting each other "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"-3 conditions:1) must recognize each other2) interactions are long term3) retaliation in cases when individual violates pactex) olive baboon, males form coalitions to break up consort pairs of estrous female and single dominant male, each male gets equal opprotunity to mate

Ultimate vs. proximate explanation

Proximate: immediate cause of the behavior (drive or physiological mechanism)Ultimate: why does the a behavior occur, why did it occur

V. C. Wynne-Edwards

="Animal dispersion in relation to social behavior"-hypothesized most social behaviors are mechanisms of reproductive self-restraintex) group displays (flocking, roosts) as "epideictic displays"

-identify sample of animals, release into larger population, resample after short time (too short for mortality or dispersal)M/N= m/nM= total number marked, releasedN=actual population sizem=marked indiv in second samplen= total captured in second smaplingex) whales

I: juvenile survivorship is high and most mortality occurs among older individuals (humans)II: individuals die equal rates regardless of age (bird, reptiles)III: individuals die at high rates as juvenilles and then at lower rates later in life (fish, plants)